Darren Stevens has been cleared to continue his career with Kent this summer after being found not guilty of involvement in corruption in last year's Bangladesh Premier League.

The 37-year-old former Leicestershire all-rounder was in danger of a lengthy global ban that would effectively have ended his career after being charged last August with failing to report a corrupt approach when playing for the Dhaka Gladiators in the Twenty20 competition.

But after a harrowing six months, Stevens was one of six defendants cleared at a tribunal set up by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and issued a statement through Kent expressing his gratitude for their support.

"I can assure all of the fans of the Dhaka Gladiators, the people of Bangladesh and all cricket followers, that I have always played the game of cricket honestly, with integrity and to the best of my ability," he said. "I have loved playing cricket in Bangladesh, as well as everywhere else in the world and I hope that I will be allowed to continue to play cricket globally."

Mohammad Ashraful, a 29-year-old veteran of 61 Tests and another 200 one-day and Twenty20 internationals who played for the Gladiators, had confessed last May to involvement in spot-fixing and match-fixing. Stevens was one of nine people who were then charged in August with violating the BCB's anti-corruption code, following an investigation by the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

The allegations against Stevens were not of corruption, but of failing to report two corrupt approaches. That allowed him to continue playing for Kent last season, which turned out to be one of his best, as he was named the county's player of the year, ending with an unbeaten double century against Lancashire at Canterbury.

The ICC issued a statement expressing their disappointment at the outcome – in which only Ashraful, one of the Gladiators' owners and another unnamed player have been found guilty, with the other six cleared – and reserving their right to appeal.

"The ICC and the BCB have received the determination and are surprised and obviously disappointed with the outcome," the statement read. "Both organisations await the Tribunal's detailed written determination setting out the reasons for the outcome, which will be provided shortly, and will consider it carefully before determining the next steps, including whether to appeal any aspect(s) of the judgment."

Jamie Clifford, the Kent chief executive, said: "I speak for all at Kent when I say that I am delighted for Darren that this verdict was reached. I know this has been a very stressful time for Darren and his family and I am sure he will be hugely relieved that this cloud has been lifted. I think he'll be looking forward to coming home, and it's great news for our planning for the season to know for sure that he's going to be available."